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Saturday, September 14, 2013

I could say that fall is the time of year for chili, but I
think anytime is chili season! This chili has lots of good fall flavor in it,
and I have already made a couple pots this year even it is not officially
autumn.Chili is so wonderful to warm
you up after a crisp fall day of hiking, various sport events or even raking
leaves so have the ingredients ready because here come the cooler days of
autumn!

Some wonderful friends and I got together to cook dinner
that was vegetarian, gluten and dairy free (minus toppings). We had lots of fun
and made this chili as well as a quinoa pilaf and gluten free corn muffins.

Here is the chili recipe. Like so many of my recipes, this
one can be adapted and changed to fit your preferences! You could throw in some
ground beef or chicken if you wanting meat, but this chili is so hearty and
thick you will not miss the meat!

In a wide deep pan, add oil and heat to medium-high and add
evenly diced sweet potatoes in a single layer. If they cannot all fit, do this
in two batches. Sauté over medium heat stirring often. After about 5 minutes,
lower heat to medium-low and add diced onions. Cook on low for about 20 minutes
until a bit caramelized and brown and sweet potatoes are starting to
soften.Note: Add any hard vegetables
like butternuts squash, potatoes or carrots at this time or cook ahead of time.

Roast peppers --Turn oven on broil and place washed,
slightly wet peppers onto foil lined pan under broiler. Broil until skin is
charred and blackened on one side and then turn until all is charred.Once skin is charred throughout, remove from
oven and fold foil over the peppers and seal up foil to let peppers steam. Let
it cool about 10 minutes, then open foil and use gloves or carefully remove stem,
seeds and membrane and skin. Using running water helps. Wash hands carefully or
discard gloves. Chop roasted pepper and add to onion, sweet potato mixture.

To the pot, Add spices, sugar and salt and continue to cook,
stirring, for about 2 minutes. Remember you can always add more spice later so
go easy! I would skip the canned chipotle and some of the dried chili pepper if
there are sensitive palates eating this. You could allow people to add hot
sauce to spice it up at the end. It will taste a little spicier the next day.

Turn pot to low heat and stir in summer squash, bell peppers,
roasted corn and any softer vegetables you are using and sauté for another
minute or two.

Add tomatoes, broth, pumpkin puree, beans, cocoa, and
optional chocolate and gently stir well. Simmer on low for about 25-35 minutes
and gently stirring until everything is nicely cooked through and thick. Taste
and add more salt or spice. If it is too spicy, add a little more broth and pumpkin
and perhaps a tiny bit more brown sugar.

This chili is wonderful topped with a bit of sour cream, cheese,
green onions and cilantro, Serve with corn bread. If you have leftovers you
could serve it over cooked pasta such as macaroni or spaghetti noodles.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Making pesto more
intuitive and flexible than preparing most other recipes. You don’t really need
a recipe if you make it often. It is kind of like biscuit baking in the south.
It is made with a few key ingredients which can be adjusted or varied. Yet I
have had pesto I was not all that fond of and pesto that I loved. The pesto I
made last night was the latter; it possessed a flavorful, fresh taste with a kick of garlic that was
delicious alone and was wonderful in a few recipes I made using it. So I want
to remember just what I did this time.

I am not a pesto
expert. I really began to enjoy pesto when I visited Italy and tasted fresh
pesto slathered on bread with a sweet ripe tomato sliced on top. Even with that sublime experience, I still
have not made pesto all that often. I usually only make it a couple times a year or so, when
my summer basil is winding down and sprouting more buds than leaves. I am not sure why I don't buy basil from a green house in the winter and brighten a dreary winter day with the fresh luxurious taste of pesto! Perhaps this will be my year of pesto!

Pesto is
basically basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
with a pinch of salt blended together in a food processor or blender. Basil is most often used but parsley, mint,
other greens can all be included. I might try a mix soon since all of my herbs
need to get used up before autumn is upon us, which despite the 90 F temps here
will be sooner than I imagine!You can
also try different nuts.You could skip
the cheese for a dairy free/ vegan version, but I would add a little more salt
and maybe some red or black pepper for interest. You could use less oil and
substitute just a little water. As I said, pesto is flexible and adaptable!! I
will give you some idea of the mix I put together last night but it is really
just a springboard for you to try out your own version! Let me know if you find
any interesting additions!!

While pesto is
probably best freshly made, this batch stayed fresh several days and it should
last around a week in the refrigerator well sealed, with a thin veneer of olive
oil over it and a piece of plastic wrap over the olive oil then another
airtight seal over that. I sometimes freeze pesto in an ice cube try then
tightly seal the pesto cubes up and keep frozen until needed over a few months.

A word on
some of the ingredients

I am still figuring out how to find good olive
oil after reading up on the lack of purity of much of the olive oil on our
store shelves. It has really made me distrust the labeling on olive oil. I now
try to buy certified California extra virgin olive oil but I am still trying to
figure out who to trust and which oils to buy, especially the ones that are
imported. This I do know-olive oil should not taste rancid or have that bad
after-taste. Real olive oil is not bought in large bargain batches, it will go
bad! Look for quality and fresh taste sold in a darkened bottle preferably with
some kind of certification of authenticity. Buy only what you can use up in a couple
months after opening. Also, look for olive oil with a sell by date closer to two
years or a recent harvest date as it is better when fresh.

When looking for
cheese for pesto, I do not buy the bargain parmesan plastic...err, I mean
cheese. Parmigiano reggiano cheese is authentic, from a particular region of
Italy. It does cost a little more but the taste is more than worth it!! Get
good cheese to use in your pesto! It should not be waxy or tasteless.

Pine nuts are
expensive but you don’t use a large amount. I think they taste wonderful in
pesto! But try other nuts if the cost of pine nuts is prohibitive.

I used a
generous portion of garlic in this pesto and it was a pronounced flavor in it
but it was sooo good. I think less garlic is perhaps more authentic but don’t
be afraid to make this the way you would like.

Pesto

4 ½ -6 cups basil leaves, loosely
packed
1/3 cup pine nuts, ( for a combination of nuts such as walnuts or almonds along with pine nuts, use up to ½ cup )
1/3-1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, (or other hard cheese like pecorino)
1-3 garlic cloves, crushed (I used 3 but it makes for a pronounced garlic kick,
which I love!)
¼-1/2 teaspoon salt

Splash of lime or lemon juice, highly
optional
1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin high quality olive oil (it should not have a heavily
bitter or rancid taste, but be light, fruity or peppery and fresh)

Using a food processor or blender,
begin with about half the basil leaves, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, and salt and
pulse so that everything is finely chopped. Add in the rest of the basil leaves
and process until everything is finely chopped, scrapping down the sides as
needed. Now, open the top to pour the olive oil in as it is processing, being
careful that it does not splash out of the top. Process or blend just a few
seconds more until pesto is uniform and emulsified.

So once you have
pesto, how do you use it? I love it on bread or pasta. Baguette slices could be
toasted with a thin brush of olive oil and then a dollop of pesto with a
dusting of Parmigiano broiled for just a moment, perhaps adorned with a slice of tomato.

Pesto is wonderful on chicken
or fish that is grilled, roasted, broiled or baked. It is great on veggies or
pizza and in a white bean dip. You could make pesto pinwheels or pesto cheese
straws for an appetizer.

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About Me

One of my joys in life is gathering people around my table to enjoy a good meal together. I love connecting with people and I love cooking so creating a blog seems like a good idea. I hope these recipes inspire you to get in the kitchen and create something delicious to share with your family and friends!
I LOVE comments so post if you have a comment,question or just to say hi.
Most of the recipes I post are originals; so I ask that you contact me before reposting. Thanks!